HF Trust – Stroud DCA provides personal care in a supported living service to people with a range of needs including learning disabilities. At the time of our inspection visit the service was being provided to 47 people.

This service provides care and support to people living in ten ‘supported living’ settings, so that they can live in their own home as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.

Not everyone using HF Trust – Stroud DCA receives regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided.

The inspection took place on the 9,10 and 11 October 2018 and was announced. This was the first inspection of the service. We rated the service outstanding overall.

HF Trust – Stroud DCA had a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen. This was particularly visible in the outstanding support people had received to development their ‘capable environments’. ‘Capable environments’ are characterised by; positive social interactions, support for meaningful activity, opportunities for choice, encouragement of greater independence and support to establish and maintain relationships.

We heard positive comments about the service such as “Very impressed” and “Support and care is of a very high standard”.

The service was outstandingly caring and responsive. People were empowered to develop their independence and involvement in the local community. The service recognised the importance of the relationships people had. They were innovative in working to maintain and develop these. The provider used their innovative ‘fusion model’ to ensure staff had the skills and understanding to provide exceptional person-centred care.

People were protected from harm and abuse through the knowledge of staff and management. People were enabled to live safely; risks to their safety were identified, assessed and appropriate action taken. Suitable staff were recruited using robust procedures. Action was taken to ensure people were safely supported with their medicines including checks on the accuracy of records.

People were treated with respect and kindness and their privacy and dignity was upheld.

People were supported by staff who had training and support to maintain their skills and knowledge to meet their needs. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People received personalised care from staff who knew their needs and preferences. People and their relatives were involved in the planning and review of their care and support. There were arrangements in place to respond to concerns or complaints.

Quality assurance systems were in operation with the aim of improving the service in response to people's needs. The management were approachable to people using the service, their representatives and staff.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.